Sidney maltby



NrrnD STATES ATENT Grrrcn.

LETTER-BOX.

Specification forming part of Letters Iatenl N0. 13,594, dated July 19,1854.

T o all 'whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, SIDNEY MALTBY, of Washington, in the county ofVtashington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Letter- Boxes, and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The chief feature of my invention is a tilting drawer-bottom, shelf, orother support, which may be drawn out to receive the letters or othermail-matter, and which will close automatically and drop the lettersbeyond the reach ot' a person from the outside. At the same time I havemade use ot' a common receiving-box, which may or may not accompany myinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lt is a side view of a letter-boxand drawer with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a view ot' thedrawer separate from the box proper.

In these drawings, A represents an ordinary box for receivingletters.This box may have a lid, B, so as to be locked, it' necessary.

In both figures, C represents a portion o1" a door or partition, throughwhich the drawer D works. The bottom E of the drawer is pivoted at l',Fig. 2, so as to drop or tilt down by its down weight when the drawer isshut, as seen in Fig. 2. As the drawer is pulled out, the bottom returnsto its proper place, riding on the board or partition (J. The lettersbeing` placed in the drawer, a coiled spring, L, connected to the drawerby a cord, F, pulls the drawerhome, when the tilting shelf ordrawerbottom E falls, depositing the letters below, and beyond reachfrom the outside. Instead of the coiled spring, a weight or othersuitable means may be employed to pull the drawer home. One or morestops, c, prevent the draw. er from sliding out or completely throughthe board or door G. A door-plate may be put on the front ot' the drawerD.

The details of construction may be somewhat varied without departingfrom my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

- 1. Atiltingdrawer-bottozn, shelf, or support, as above described, thesame being so arranged as to rise and receive letters when drawn out andthen tilt down. and deposit or drop the letters when pushed or drawn in,substantial ly as set forth.

2. The use ot' the automatically-closing drawer forreceiving anddepositing letters, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the box A' with the tilting support, and also withthe automatically-closin g drawer, substantially in the manner and forthe purposes specified.

' SIDNEY MALTBY.

Witnesses DAN. RowLAND, J No. G. SINNURD.

